Prologo a la Maldad
by Xigo
Summary: What happened in Pueblo before the game started? How did the horrible darkness of the Las Plagas enshroud the land, and how did the heroes and villians come into the adventure? Find out in the Prologue to Evil...


As I've said in the summary, this is like a novelized version of the events that we learn about before the story starts in the game. So, there's not a lot of new explanations, just more like the events put into writing. This is all by me, it's purely fiction, it's not as if I talked to Capcom and got this officialized by them.

Now then, some translations for people who don't know Spanish-

"Prologo a la Maldad" Prologue to Evil "Firmado, Xigo" Signed, Mirren. "Capitulo Uno- Descubrimiento" Chapter One- Discovery.

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**_Prologo a la Maldad_**

_**Firmado, Xigo**_

**_Capítulo Uno- Descubrimiento_**

Beyond rocky hills, there was a valley. The valley was a gash to the earth that ran through the country for miles, always growing larger as a flow of water raced across its stony makeup. The stream within it moved its way through a thick, dense forest; a place that lay untouched from the outside world. A huge lake rested there, as well as tall mountains, and a magnificent castle that could only suit the most regal of men and women.

A population of people lived within the glades, residing in the quiet settlement that they themselves created with their own hands. After they had cut down the hordes of trees, after they had established suitable waterways, after had cultivated the dirt, they had assembled their homes. When all was complete, they had constructed a fine town for themselves. It wasn't large, nor was it particularly awe-inspiring, but for those that lived there, it was the perfect place to spend their years. It was a village with great potential, happy residents, and peaceful surroundings.

Yet, it was a village doomed to be consumed by darkness.

* * *

Andres Garza grunted as he heaved a hefty pile of straw from the stack in front of him onto the wooden wheel-barrel to the side. Even with the help of his iron pitchfork, the task that he did more than three times a week was a work-out for him. Being already fifty-two years old, he had lost a great deal of the stamina that he had earlier in his years. It was that stamina that he used to help build the village and its many structures.

At this day in age, though, he had the role of the farmer for the town. While he had his entire family working alongside him, and several other of the folk taking care of the crops and animals, it was always he that was thought of when the topic of the farm came into play. The villagers never said anything about his wife, nor his children or co-workers. It was always the diligent and meticulous Andres Garza that got the fame when it came to the agriculture for their residence.

He took a deep, long breath after he slammed the tipped-points of his pitchfork into the ground, and held himself up by the aid of the wooden rod. He took a red rag from his pocket, and wiped the layer of sweat off his forehead, and then the balding section of his head as well. Andres took a brief glance up to the sky, where the sun floated, always beating down on the region with its hot rays. For someone that was always seen as the man who "simply made the food" for the village, Andres surely had one of the more physically-demanding jobs.

He heard the metal gates to his property open, and then close. The sound of footsteps made a few of the cows, chickens and goats get edgy, but Andres was pleased to know that someone from the town-square was coming to visit.

"Hey there Andres, how's it going for ya today?" a man called out as he came out into the open, after leaving the walled-path for the entrance.

Andres had to smile to himself at who had shown up. "Pretty good, Enrico, how about you?"

"Oh, same old same old," the other man answered, and stopped in front of Andres a couple meters from him, "Doing my work in my shop as usual." Enrico Valdez was valued as the best wood-worker for the village, being the one who moderated and did the most labor for all of the timber that was used to create the houses, shacks, fences and furniture that was used to set up the town. Like Andres, he no longer did such grueling working as cutting trees and forming them into planks or logs, but instead he set himself up a proper Carpenter's Shop, where he worked with creating and repairing chairs, tables, cabinets and other furnishings.

"I know the feeling," Andres chuckled, "Story of my life I guess you could say. I work for ten hours straight around here one day, go to bed, and the next day I just continue the cycle." The two laughed together, as that was a good description of what both of their lives were like.

"Well good thing I at least get a break every so often, just like now. My wife has wanted me to get some milk for our house tonight, so I said I'd go get it today. Mind if I get some?" Enrico asked as he held up the tin bucket he brought with him.

"Sure thing, just head into our barn and ask my daughter to do it for ya."

"Alright, I'll do that. Hey you should take a break once in a while too, ya know. You look like you just ran a ten mile race or something!"

Andres chuckled to himself as he still breathed hard from his work, and then when he looked down at his body, he could see the sweat stains on his clothes.

"Yeah, well that's what you get when you stand outside under the sun and haul this straw around. Then you gotta dig through all that dirt, plant into the new seeds, take out the new crops, and whatever else needs to be done. This ain't no easy job; you're lucky just sitting inside cutting wood all day."

"Hey now, you shouldn't be complaining," Enrico rebutted with a indignant, but comic tone, "You're not like my son who has to go down in those mines and hack through that dirt and stone."

"Oh, your son went down to those things? I didn't know that."

"Yep, he just got the job a week ago; no matter how many times I told him it'd be rougher than anything he's experienced!"

"Heh, he's got nerve to go down to those things, with all the cramped conditions, musty smells and dusty air. Has he said much about it?"

Enrico rolled his eyes as the flood of statements that his son made went through his head. "Oh yeah, of course he has. He talks about how much 'fun' it is, and what a great time he has with all the guys. He thinks it's doing his body good and getting him in shape; but just you wait, another couple weeks and that boy'll crack. He'll come home one day and ask me for work in my shop because he's quit!"

Andres found the idea of it quite funny, since he himself went through a similar situation with his own son.

"Well I don't think you should worry too much, it's best to just let them realize the bad themselves. And for the time-being, he should be okay down there; he's a strong kid. And I mean, for working so far below the Earth, it's a safe environment compared to the other mines in the country"

"Yeah that's true, though that's because that Salazar runs the thing, so naturally he has to keep its good reputation if he wants to get the best profit from it."

"Then that's an even better guarantee for your boy's safety. I mean, come on, what's the worse that could happen? They discover an ancient monster that kills them or something?" A hearty laugh ripped from their throats each.

"Ha! You're right!" Enrico agreed, and realized that he had worried too much.

* * *

The mines below Ramon Salazar's castle were louder and more crowded than usual. That day, twenty more men had been hired and permanently placed with the current working-group of forty. Now with the labor force at sixty men, the tasks were being completed much faster, but the boss still made sure that his employees continued to hack and thrust and dig into the dirt and stone.

The boss was none other than the young Ramon Salazar, the Eighth Castellan of the Salazar clan. He was a youth, only sixteen years old, but now that all of his family was deceased, he was the one with all the power and riches of their wealthy status. Although small in size and with a height no greater than five-feet, he always had an imposing look, mostly due to the impish glow in his yellow eyes. His choice of clothing also gave him a sense of importance, from the long, costly coat that hung to his knees, to the stylish blue hat he wore over his head.

From atop one of the wooden-cradles, hanging meters above the ground where the men worked tirelessly, he watched the rapid excavation of the area. Using shovels, hammers, spikes and pick-axes, they cut their way into the rock more and more. By the minutes they were removing layers of stone and dirt, to the point where they were beginning to lose room from all the earth that they were pushing aside to go lower and lower into the ground. Ramon had been down in the mines for hours, simply standing and gazing at his employees' work. Once in a while he would speak to the taskmasters, but even those conversations were short lived; for Salazar's focus was obviously somewhere of greater importance.

"Mister Salazar!" one of the captains yelled as he ran up the twisting series of stairs and walkways. Ramon turned to him just as the man stopped a few feet away. "I'm sorry to report that we haven't found what you've been hoping for just yet, and we have no idea how much longer it'll take to find them…" the leader announced. He appeared fearful, both in his tone and in his expression as Salazar stared at him, but to his surprise, the Castellan looked away with a gentle smile.

"You shouldn't worry so much, I can wait for this" he replied.

The captain came close to letting out a loud sigh of relief from the answer. "Thank you for understanding, but I'm not sure that I can guarantee that we'll even find them by the end of the day. We're starting to get to thicker and harder rock layers now, so our progress will decrease as time goes on. Are you sure you don't just want us to try some of our dynamite?"

"Ohh no, we most certainly cannot use that," Ramon explained, sounding amused by what the captain had suggested, "If we do that, then we put ourselves at risk of destroying those precious fossils. I do not want to have all this hard work that my men are doing go to waste. Remember my friend, I'm paying them each seven-thousandpesetas a month for this labor; that incentive will get them to find what I want, I know it…"

Just then, one of the miners turned from his portion of rock that he was cutting into to look at the captain. "Hey chief, I found something!" the man called out as he cupped one hand about his mouth.

Salazar grinned at the official next to him. "See? What did I tell you?"

Almost all of the workers instantly ceased their digging, and swarmed to where the discovery had been made. They were like wild fans flocking to a celebrity, and they were all excited and curious to see what had just been found. The captain pushed his way through the walls of people, as Salazar followed behind him quietly, with a content smile on his face.

"Move! Move it! Get out of the way, let us through!" the chief yelled, shoving the men to the side so that he and Ramon could get closer to the finding. When they finally did, the miner that had first sighted it stepped out of Salazar's path, and let the Castellan get as near to it as he wanted.

It was an odd thing indeed; fossilized remains of creatures that were difficult to describe. In a way, they had the characteristics of bugs, but they also looked like crustaceans with claws and small legs. Salazar blew the blanket of dust off the bones, and stared at them blissfully as his hands felt about the skeletons.

"So, it really is them; the Las Plagas…" Ramon spoke aloud. There was a unanimous gasp amongst all of the miners, and in an instant many of them took a step back away from Salazar and his prized fossils. Even with all of the whispers and murmurs that were going about through the masses, he kept his full attention the discovery he so desired. It took nearly a minute to pass before someone mustered up the courage to speak to him.

"Umm…Sir Ramon…is this thing _really _one of the Plagas that existed so long ago? The things that Jorge Salazar, the first Castellan, hid away when he disposed of the Los Illuminados?" the captain asked with a shaky voice.

"Oh yes they are…" Salazar answered, appearing to be very pleased by it all, "But there is no reason to worry, they are but remains now; they can no longer hurt us." He then turned around from the Plagas, and looked at all of the miners. "I want you all to listen carefully, because if you do as I say, I promise that you'll be very wealthy," Salazar began, "Before you leave these tunnels, I will make sure that each and every one of you is paid five-thousand pesetas to stay quiet about this, and make no mentioning of finding the Plagas to anyone you know, and that sum will increase as days pass and you remain silent about it." The face of every man in the room lit up like a lamp, and Salazar continued. "And just to make sure that I get exactly what I want, I will pay another five-thousand pesetas to each and every person that finds another Plagas before the end of the day." He let the pledge of incredible amounts of money sink into the men before he spoke one more time. "Get back to work."

Every last miner grabbed their tool and ran back to their assigned spots, hacking away into the dirt like lightning. In mere seconds, the entire crowd had dispersed from where the first Plagas was found, leaving a pleased Salazar and an astonished captain to themselves once more.

"Do you see what I meant before?" Ramon asked the man he scanned over the frantic workers, "Great wealth will drive men to do anything. In this case, it drives them to find a wealth far greater for myself…"

* * *

With dusk reaching its end, and the sky growing darker and darker by the seconds, Enrico peered out the kitchen window in his home yet again. Behind him was a table set for four, with a large candle burning in the middle, and plates of vegetables, fruits and beef that were releasing their very last wisps of steam as they lost their warmth. His young daughter of five, and his wife both sat in chair, looking worried and hungry.

The Valdez father grabbed the packet of chestnut-flavored tobacco from one of the pantries, and emptied a small amount into his applewood pipe. Once he struck a match, he carefully dipped the flame into the shredded plant, and let it burn up a bit. He waved the fire out on the stick, and inhaled the smoke through the tube on his item.

"Where the hell could he have gone?" Enrico asked as he stared through the glass and into the village square, releasing a small cloud of grey from his mouth, "He should've been back here at least an hour ago, he never works this late."

"Oh, I hope nothing bad happened…" his wife, Pilar, moaned, and turned around to face her husband, "Enrico, what if there was an accident down in the mines? What if they're stuck there, or he's hurt?"

"Nah, it can't be that," he retorted, "If it was, we all would've known about it. And besides, I saw a lot of the miners come into town a little while ago."

Enrico's daughter, Raquel, felt her stomach growl again as she eyed the mound of steak in front of her.

"Mommy, I'm hungry…" the little girl whined.

Pilar looked to her daughter and grabbed her hand gently. "I know honey. Just a wait a few more minutes for Marcos to come home" she said with a weak smile.

A moment later, Enrico finally spotted his son coming towards their house. "There he is" he muttered, almost sounding bitter. He walked to the front door, and before he could get there, his son came in, carrying something in a brown tarp.

"Oh, hey everyone!" Marcos greeted, all smiles, "Sorry I'm late." The young man closed the door, and walked into an irate look from his father.

"Where have you been?" Enrico snapped, "We've been waiting for you for half an hour! Your family is starving here because they've waited for you so long! The food that your mother and I worked for is nearly cold now!"

Surprisingly, Marcos didn't seem to be intimidated by his father's tone. "Hey, I'm sorry about that, but I just _had _to go see Mister Ortiz at his fish-stock. Look at what I got from him!" the young man said excitedly, and opened up the tarp to reveal four huge large-mouth bass. His mother and sister were both amazed to see the fish, and while his father was, also, Enrico still appeared even angrier.

"What's this about? You know how expensive those things are, what would make you spend all of your salary on that?"

"Relax dad, Salazar gave all of us workers a raise" Marcos defended coolly, and then showed his father his wallet.

Enrico looked into the pouch, and his eyes nearly shot out of their sockets when he got a look at the many gold coins in it.

"My God…there must be almost ten-thousand pesetas in here!"

"Ten-_thousand?" _Pilar exclaimed.

Marcos nodded. "Yep, he just threw all this money at us when we finally found what he had been searching for."

"And what was that?" Pilar asked.

Marcos shrugged as he seated himself at the dinner table. "I'm not really sure, something about bones from an old animal" he answered, "He was extremely excited over it though, so he gave us the raise the moment we found the first one, and then he gave us even more money for finding more bones." It was all a ploy, though; as he knew that they were the Las Plagas, and he was only lying because of the money that Salazar promised.

Enrico meditated for a few moments, as he felt that the subject was familiar to him. He had very vague memories of fossils being somewhere below the Salazar Castle, but he couldn't remember the exact details. Not wanting to trouble himself over it, he set his son's wallet on the kitchen cupboard, and sat down at the table.

"Well, if it makes this family that much money, I guess I don't mind you working down in that mine after all" he said to his son with a smirk.

* * *

Ramon Salazar sat in his throne room, in his most precious of chairs. It had a frame carved from pure gold, and entrenched in the structure were dozens of glimmering sapphires and rubies. The cushion was an ebony color made from the smoothest of velvet, which provided the absolute most comfortable feeling possible. It was a seat that Salazar rarely used, though, as he only enjoyed reclining in it for the greatest of times.

Now, was one of those times.

"Isn't it amazing, these things were hidden away for hundreds of years, and now within only a month of digging, those villagers have found the things that you and I have been searching for…" Salazar said as he held one of the Plagas that was still set into a slab of stone.

Standing before him was a much larger, older man garbed by a thick violet robe with gold trimmings and emblems. He had his hood down, revealing his pale, eerie face and the ugly-grey hair that fell back down his neck. In his hand was a tall wooden staff, but at the top there were several moving tentacles and eyeballs. This was none other than the current leader of the Los Illuminados religious cult; Osmund Saddler.

"Yes, it is indeed very good for our plans, and especially that you found so many" Saddler added, as his eyes moved over the piles of Las Plagas fossils, all of which were set in stone slabs like the one he held, or in very durable containers.

"That is where my riches came into play," Ramon said with his usual grin, "Those villagers, like all men, live off wealth. The money that I promised them was the perfect enticement to make them get what I wanted."

"Such is very true, and because of their greed, they've allowed for us to begin our full strategy," Saddler said, "The Las Plagas have already begun to re-spawn inside of them. Their blind obsession for money has resulted in them inhaling some of the Plagas spores, and the parasites entering their bodies from the excavations."

Saddler chuckled at the sinister thoughts, while Salazar flailed in his chair from a devilish laughter.

"Haha! And I told them that the Plagas could do no harm to anyone! The fools!" the Castellan guffawed.

"Indeed my boy, but I hope you realize that it will be a few years before the Plagas fully develop and emerge for those humans" Saddler told him.

Salazar waved his hand uncaringly. "Feh, the wait does not concern me. It'll be a good amount of time for me for my preparation to join Los Illuminados."

"Well, yes, that is for sure," Saddler agreed, "But more importantly, that time will be used to study the Plagas, so we can learn as much possible about them, and truly master their powers. That is exactly why I have hired the best scientist I could find to examine them, and give us all of the details."

"Ah, that's right, you told me about that. Who is he exactly?"

"He should be here any moment now" Saddler said, and just as he finished, the double-doors to the throne room came open, and a young Spanish man walked in. He had a somewhat thin body that was clothed by russet pants, and long-sleeve white shirt that was covered by a navy and copper vest. Stringy dark locks of hair fell down past his head, which gave him a very handsome look.

"Is this is a good time to have come, Mister Saddler?" the man asked.

"Oh, but of course! We were just talking about you as a matter of fact, please come here" Saddler said, motioning for him to join them. Osmund glanced towards Ramon for a brief moment. "Salazar, I'd like for you to meet our official Las Plagas Researcher; Luis Sera."

Luis quickly bowed respectfully to Ramon. "A pleasure to meet you, Castellan Salazar, and an even greater one to be working under you."

Salazar's eyebrows perked up as he looked at the man. "So, he knows his stuff about parasites?"

"Very much" Saddler confirmed, "He's been studying them for years, and by now he knows more than probably any other man in the country. Tell him some of the things you've been doing research on as of late, Mister Sera."

"Yes, well, I just finished writing a book on parasites that have the ability to manipulate their hosts, it includes information about all kinds such as Dicrocoelium, Galactosomum, and Leucochlordium" Luis explained, and laughed, "I would go on, but I cannot tell you everything I've done without having to waste an hour of your time."

Salazar chuckled at Luis's humorous comment. "Ah, so you truly do have great knowledge of these things," he realized, "Very well then, if Saddler says you're that good, and you truly know that much about parasites, then I can certainly trust you with gaining data on the Plagas." Salazar then looked back to Saddler. "You've made a great choice in him, Mister Saddler."

The Los Illuminados leader chuckled quietly. "But of course, I wouldn't dare make any mistake on _this _operation."


End file.
